The diseased
by Setrus
Summary: On the peaceful world of Lem the curse of unbelief strikes, plague zombies overwhelming all resistance. As that happens a single strike cruiser arrives, the marines within bent on retrieving something of theirs. 40K-fic, M for good reasons.
1. Chapter 1

Edwin ran a hand down weary blue eyes, silently struggling not to fall asleep where he stood as he looked out through the gaping hole where there once had been a stained window for the neighbourhood's local chapel. The view hadn't changed, why would it? It hadn't for the last week, why would it have this morning?

Still, he felt a twinge of disappointment, as he had every morning before, as always having expected some sort of miracle.

The chapel he and two dozen others occupied was surprisingly roomy for such a small structure. The tiled floor was even after all they have suffered through clean, or perhaps because of it...a couple of people had become obsessed by keeping everything flawless due to a lack of activity, or perhaps to simply keep their minds occupied, Edwin guessed at the later.

Still, it meant that the floor was clean, and the improvised beds of sheets, straws and the odd woollen bag were carefully made, looking oddly neat where they were placed along the walls, right beneath the second floor. The second floor was a simple wooden thing ten feet above the main floor, supported by stone beams and protruding six feet into the chapel, by now Edwin had learnt to see them more as ramparts from which one could look down through the gaping holes where there once had been beautiful windows.

As for the other occupants...the dozen civilians were clustered around the centre of the main floor, eating their small ration of bread as they intently listened to the local preacher or tended to the mental and physical wounds they had acquired during the last two weeks. A few sobs reached Edwin, but he refused to listen, that was the preacher's job after all. And he himself was far too tired...

At least the dozen battle sisters guarding the chapel didn't cry or ask for help with something or another. In fact he had barely seen them take of their helmets for anything but a quick snack. For the most part they stood vigil by the windows on the second floor, on one knee as if in prayer as they gazed out at the outside. In fact...if Edwin listened carefully...he could hear a muttered prayer from the helmeted sister to his left...it was the only sign of life from her.

Sighing he realised that there would no doubt be a medical 'problem' soon...and despite only being seventeen and a new, not to mention _failed_, medical student he was apparently the best they had left. Stealing away moments on the rampart was the only thing keeping him sane, which was sort of amusing since he spent it watching what had driven them all to the edge of madness...

The plaza in front of him was filled with...people.

He grimaced, to call these creatures people left a bad taste in his mouth. Everything about them was wrong, the way they slowly shuffled as they walked, the way they were covered in green boils...the way they stared at him with milky dead eyes... How many was out there? He had tried to count them before...he'd lost count at two hundred...something.

Still, they kept a few feet's distance from the chapel, as they had ever since the sister's had put up their vigil. It wasn't fear of getting mowed down by those bolters of theirs either, he'd seen zombies charge a firing line during the initial chaos, winning inch by inch until they simply overwhelmed the defenders. No, this was the power of faith...perhaps from the chapel itself, or the praying sisters...he shot the armoured woman next to him a grateful look.

Either way he had gone from one who simply ignored religion to a fervent believer. Perhaps it was a bit insulting to the emperor...but he was such a distant figure that it was hard to believe in him until now. Especially on such a sleepy planet as Lem. Sure they had had their local rebellions, cultists crying out their allegiance to the dark gods while rising up over in the slums...but that had only further strengthened his belief that religion was something best left alone.

After all, he had heard all of the stories, of the emperor and his great primarches, of great battles and a constant war against the xeno and heretical powers out there, one heard them all the time during the obligatory church visits. But that was something far away! Lem was a sleepy civilised world! Far from any of those legendary wars that the preachers went on about, along with many others he had come to doubt any of that was actually true.

Funny how your world dying could change your perspective on things...

Looking over the plaza he watched with mixed emotion the horde of zombies loudly bash against the door in the large building at the other side of the plaza. The local arbiter fort was nothing but a converted office building, though it was hard to tell with the minimized windows and bulky steel plates covering it, making it look like a bunker. Despite that the zombies were slowly but surely bashing up the large steel doors, as they had been for the last week.

On one hand the arbiters had kicked him in line far too many times for him to really feel bad for them. On the other they were probably one of the few surviving humans on the planet...losing them would mean the ones in the chapel would be truly left alone...

There wasn't much they could do though, the sisters were too few to fight their way out...and even if they weren't it would leave him and the other civilians to be eaten by the monsters surrounding them on all sides. So he was stuck to watch, which wasn't too horrible by now...he had seen far too many people getting killed these last two weeks...the memories hounded him every night.

Shuddering he wrapped the blanket over his wide shoulders closer, his eyes closing despite his efforts. It had all started so quietly...the report of a meteorite hitting the planet...the sky getting a little darker due to dust clouds. It had been a little worrying, mostly due to peasants complaining about bad crops and the crazies going about the end of the world...the usual when something strange happened.

He hadn't been that worried though, after all, the administratum officials had said everything was okay, and they had never been wrong before.

Then the flies had come, the size of his thumb, so many that the cloud they made blotted out the sun...and people had begun to die. The only reason Edwin hadn't been bitten and died had been him being near a windowless restroom...he had hid there, barricading the door even as he heard people cry out in fear and pain as they died.

It shamed him, but that had been what he had done. He had even heard someone bang on the door for a moment...before being swarmed.

Two days later, driven by hunger, he had left the restroom...and found the ground littered by dead flies and people. Everything had been so silent...until he gunfire had erupted from somewhere to his left. Confused he had taken to go there, if only so he could ask someone alive what was happening...then he had seen them...the living dead.

The rest of the week had been a blur. Constant running, constantly throwing oneself over food when having the opportunity, gorging on it like some ravenous wolf. At times he had been with other survivors, or at least he believed he had...it had all been so confusing. He _did_ remember reaching the chapel alone though...and that he had been injured from a fall, they had nearly shot him then.

The sister next to him turned her head to look at him, red eyepieces glaring at him. He must have chuckled at the memory. "Sorry." She turned back to her vigil, the muttered prayer never ceasing. Of course she didn't answer, they never did, their only interaction with the others was via their 'sergeant' and the preacher...and that he had caught some sisters looking at him at times, no doubt still suspicious of him turning into one of those monsters.

A loud creak reached him as the steel gate over on the other end of the plaza gave way, fascinated he watched every zombie on the plaza turning towards the sound, jaws opening in silent roars, legs dragging as they moved towards the new source of food. "Guess we can't do anything for them?" Edwin muttered the question, wavering slightly where he stood as he came close to fall into the nightmare realm that was sleep nowadays.

The sister didn't answer, red eyepieces focused on the scene before her, bolter resting on her leg as she continued her prayer.

"Yeah you're right." He said to the non answer, resting heavily against the windowframe. "Nothing to do but watch, very sad."

Again, no answer, no surprise there...though it still annoyed him. The sisters seemed to be the only ones calm, and as such the only ones he could talk to without receiving a sermon or constant crying...but apparently they didn't talk to the likes of him.

So he was left alone, the only one not crying or constantly praying. Weren't they tired of crying by now? It had been _two_ weeks dammit! None could be sad for that long, just because they had all lost their families, friends and...classmates...lovers...didn't...it didn't mean...

Blinking Edwin sniffled, a hand coming up to rub his nose.

Great, he must be tired...heh...yeah...keep telling yourself that...idiot.

"Doctor! Doctor!" Sighing he found his shoulders slumping. Since when was he a doctor? Did they just want to believe he knew more than he did? He was just seventeen dammit! Bet it's that stupid pregnant girl and her stupider boyfriend. She was in the fifth month! Not ninth! "She's in pain!" Oh for...just because the kid was a good kicker didn't mean they had to bother him twenty times a day!

Sighing he glanced at the sister ignoring him. "Oh well, back to work then? Yeah...I'll talk to you later."

"Doctor!"

"I'm coming!" He forced himself not to sound angry, knowing better by now. Doing an unnecessary check-up was annoying enough without listening to the ranting of a dull witted boyfriend...


	2. Chapter 2

They were getting in.

John Clarkson looked down through the small slit in the wall, as he had for ages now. The zombies were still there, and still bashing on the door. However, now they were close, the hinges giving in and the steel door bending under their attack. It was a matter of moment before they would force themselves in.

The monsters looking back at him sported blank looks, their milky white eyes saying nothing. Covered in greenish boils and mould-covered sores the zombies were barely recognisable as once having been human, much of their clothes having been torn to shreds by their own clawing hands or the obscene growths coming out of them.

John shrugged, it did not matter how ugly they were anymore, he would soon be dead, and then he wouldn't have to look at them anymore.

He rolled the vodka in his glass around, a mere drop was left from the bottle, but he clutched the glass tight none the less, treasuring the final drink more then anything. "Secret tunnel full of the undead. Door about to be opened. No fuel for the flamers, nor any grenades left." John already knew all that, but it felt good saying it, to put words on his doom.

Putting the glass to his lips he sipped the final drop of alcohol, to his mouth it tasted like ashes, but he smacked his lips together in appreciation none the less. "No help from that chapel coming either, or they would have sent it already." He tossed the glass aside, uncharacteristically crushing it against a wall. Who cared about being clean now? "And not even a full garrison."

He grimaced, shoulders slumping. Half his arbiters had died in the initial attack, never standing a chance as they either were bitten by those ugly bugs and turned...or were eaten alive by the suddenly monstrous people around them. Then there had been the rioting prisoners... John closed his eyes, tensing at the painful memory.

They had been in total chaos, struggling to get patrols back into the fort while fighting the growing groups of zombies coming at them...when the prisoners had broken out. Even without this strange disease it had been a nightmare scenario, especially when the prisoners reached the armoury...and when every killed prisoner and arbiter begun to turn into another zombie the fight had turned into chaos.

It had been mere chance that had left the arbiters victorious.

Shrugging he glanced down at his body, the black carapace armour of his was scorched and torn from the vicious fighting he had endured, and he knew it was coincidence and nothing else that had kept him alive so far. Yet, he was alive, and that meant he was still fighting.

Turning he faced the only piece of furniture in the room, the steel chair riveted into the floor of the small interrogation chamber. He smiled, how many criminals had he exposed while they were strapped to this chair? How many heretics had died here? Their pleading falling to deaf ears? And now is equipment lay there, ready for one last fight.

Putting on his helmet he pushed down the black visor over his face. By now he knew from experience what a plague zombie's punch could do, but perhaps it would take at least one blow before breaking? Better than his skull taking it...

He grabbed his power maul, grip worn from years of use, putting it on its highest setting before fastening it to his belt.

His laspistol, how many had he executed with it? How many a charging heretic had he put down? He holstered it, despite knowing that it could barely hurt these sick creatures.

His combat shotgun...the mere threat of using it had ended many an argument. And with these creatures...it was perfect.

He didn't expect to win though, he knew better, but he would go none the less. Sighing he shot the interrogation chair one last look before marching out into the corridor. The place was torn and scorched from their fight with the prisoners and the zombies from both sides...at least they had managed to throw the corpses out through a window, though the smell still lingered. Gagging slightly John moved on, surprised at the resolve in his steps.

There were of course others, but they had given up long ago. Two had killed themselves a day ago...and the others...

It didn't require any effort to hear the moans as officer Kakaon and Wenman stayed in their joint room, apparently set on screwing each others brains out until the end. Wenman seemed to scream excessively much...no doubt trying to shut out the sound of the zombies entering while she rode Kakaon.

John smirked, for an instant considering bursting in and ordering them to the gate for a final defence. He couldn't bring himself to do it though, they had chosen their ending, and he couldn't deprive them of that.

Another three steps down the stinking corridor and he could now hear the last officer under his command, officer Yllmer was praying, loudly enough to be heard through the thick door to the fort's praying chamber even. He was probably trying to shut out the sound of the zombies entering as well...and to save his soul before his imminent death.

John grunted, hefting his shotgun loosely as he marched towards the main room, he had made his choice, and he did not fear for his soul, not anymore.

"Fuck the emperor." He growled, scratching his chin and marvelling how loose the skin there was. Ever since everything had gone to hell he had enjoyed the lack of daily sermons, a small blessing in the hell the world had become.

Officer Yllmer was probably right, faith in the emperor guarded one against this mysterious disease, John hadn't taken off his armour for two days now...but if it was close to anything like last time he guessed it would be covered in boils and sores. He hadn't been bitten...but still the disease had begun to spread within him.

But why would he pray to the emperor? Even _if_ it saved him from this horrible affliction...why should he spend time praying to the god that had allowed something like _this_ to happen to his planet!? He owed the emperor no further allegiance! He had fought his entire life for the god! He had killed hundreds of heretics! He had killed mothers and children for the emperor! And how is he rewarded?

With _this_! His entire planet full of undead! With his friends and family dead! With himself about to be eaten!

No, the emperor could demand nothing else from him.

Finding himself in the entrance hall John relaxed, looking around with calm eyes. Behind him the stairs went up to the rest of the building, at the base of the stairs a curved desk faced the entrance, the chair behind it broken into nothing but wood. There was a red carpet leading up to the doors...John was surprised by how clean it still was.

Walking past the desk John flicked the safety off on his shotgun, squeezing it tightly as he watched the upper part of the doors giving way.

It was a horrible sight, thick steel covered in dark blood bending under the impacts of the undead...their mouths agape in hunger for his flesh. Fascinated John watched the hinges on the massive gate shake, the wall around it breaking into crumbs. It couldn't hold out much longer.

Taking a deep breath John gritted his teeth, so this was it? It felt a little...disappointing.

With a bone jarring impact the gate gave way, the gore covered doors falling unto the floor, parts of the wall coming down with it.

They were so _many_...

Taking a step forward John fired, tearing the head off the first zombie entering the room. The second shot tore into the head of another zombie, the boils covering it exploding into gore and pus, but it still came at him...a second shot blew a hole through its chest and dropped it to the floor.

A moan escaped one of them as the horde of zombies pushed forward, like an unstoppable avalanche they came at him, clawing hands pushing towards him. Another step forward and John blew the leg of a third zombie, then swung his shotgun about, knocking a fourth unto the floor with a heavy blow that jarred his shoulder.

That felt _good_...

A swinging fist caught him in the face.

Flying back John saw stars, the sound of the visor shattering was nothing compared by the pain suddenly digging into him, nor the screaming.

Realizing it was he who screamed John struggled to his knees, his blurry vision seeing the wall of undead approaching, stepping over the shotgun he'd dropped under his flight. Emperor...he couldn't open his left eye!

Pulling his pistol John fired the weapon as fast as he could, ruby laser shots burning the thick skin of the plague zombies. He wasn't really sure where he hit them, his vision too blurry, but missing was impossible...and he managed a grin when another of them fell forward, quickly getting crushed under the weight of the others advancing.

They were close...weren't they?

Dropping his pistol John pulled the power maul, the worn weapon humming as he activated it. "Come on you piece of...!" Grunting he stepped forward, swinging his weapon against the skull of one of them.

It broke like a ripe melon, spraying him with blood, pus and brainmatter.

Another pawed at him, drawing a growl from him as fresh pain struck him, this time from the feeling of having his entire right arm being stripped of armour, exposing sickly green flesh now sporting three bloody gouges down the entire limb.

His backhand blow sent the left arm of the clawing zombie flying, the monster dropping unto one knee with a moan. "Ha! Take that you-"

Then another grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him closer.

John managed a gasp as his power maul fell from nerveless fingers, watching in shock as another of the beasts grabbed the gouged arm...and begun to feed. "Ah! No!" He tried to pull away, only to find his back hitting the chest of another zombie...and then all breath was knocked out of him. "Gnh!?" Staring down he found a clawed hand sticking out from his abdomen, dark gore in its hands.

He swung his left arm backwards, slamming his elbow into the head of the zombie. It didn't budge though, another of its hand punching through John's lower back, almost tearing him in half. Another zombie lashed out at him as it was pushed past him by the sheer amount of monsters, tearing a deep wound across his throat. "Ahn..." There was blood in his mouth...and...it burnt...he was of fire... "Ghuh?"

With an explosion of blood the hands were pulled back out of him, dropping him to his knees.

Where...was his arm? His right arm...was...missing...at the elbow...

He couldn't breathe...he couldn't...

There was no sound when he fell face first to the floor. Heavy feet marched right over him, crushing his chest...breaking his bones...slowly reducing his body to bloody paste.

Emperor...why?


	3. Chapter 3

Michael felt the slight ease of pressure in his skull as the strike cruiser _The Pure_ came out of the warp, behind him the bridge became a hive of activity as dozens of servitors begun working by their stations. Michael could care less about them though, their work was not his to worry about, instead he focused on the view as the steel curtains over the frontal viewport slid away now that they were out of the warp, revealing the emptiness of space.

Safe for one little dot.

Squinting his brown eyes he focused on the little dot, quickly discerning the green and blue that was the civilised world of Lem. Pushing aside the official facts he had read about it in his file on it, that never did a world any justice, he instead pondered his situation.

The curse of unbelief, if the garbled and quickly ended emergency message was accurate the chances of them facing such a taint was high. If that was the case he was not worried, when infected a planet was merely reactive, as such they could easily handle and contain its taint, unless survivors...

Containment, that was important. "Helmsman, I want the starports of the planet to be destroyed as soon as we're in range."

"Yes brother." Came the curt reply.

Turning Michael found himself looking at the three other marines on the bridge. All were already dressed in their pockmarked and chipped armour of the Fire Spectres. Dark red armour and black shoulder pads showing their symbol of the ghostly hand clawing a flame. By now Michael barely noticed it when he wasn't fixing his own or checking a brother's wounds when his armour had failed him.

The marine in the centre had been the one speaking, his helmet already clipped on, as were the others. Only Michael's was off, revealing a hairless square face, even the eyebrows were gone, burnt away by a lictor's acidic bite long ago. The central marine put his hands behind his back. "Are you sure the transmission was correct then brother-captain?"

Arching what had once been an eyebrow the captain turned to the marine on the left, that one's armour having the addition of a hood of steel covered in ornate copper rods. "Brother librarian?"

The marine hesitated for a moment, probably closing his eyes beneath his helmet as he cast his ethereal vision adrift. It always gave Michael the chills to have a 'pure' marine marked by such a dangerous curse, but so far there had been no incident under Michael's watch. "There are many souls within the planet, between life and death, in neither. I believe the transmission was correct brother."

"Excellent." Michael turned to the last marine, the marine's armour a different shade of red and arcs of lighting moving over his shoulder pads due to the small generators stuck there whose purpose was mystery to Michael. "Techmarine Fichus, can you locate our artefact?"

The air got a little colder at the question. Despite having gone through the scenario before and resolved what to do with the planet in case of their interpretation of what the transmission meant was correct it was still a bold move they had decided upon. Space marines or not, going against the will of the inquisition was not lightly done.

"Yes." The marine nodded, though despite his full armour he looked hesitant. "It will take time however. It depends upon where it is located, under how much ground...and of course any seals of blocking the inquisitor might have put up. That is...if the mark of detection is still upon it?"

Michael managed a ghost of a smile. "Do not worry brother, if the inquisitor found out about it he would no doubt have confronted us about it. Believe me, I was there." He snorted at the memory, it was more then fifty years ago, but the bitter memory of having to bow to such a fool still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Corrupting inscription...the mere suggestion that the Fire Spectres would allow corruption to spread within their ranks was laughable!

But what could one expect of the inquisitors? They took no chances when they could avoid it, but now they would rectify past injustices...whatever any nosy inquisitor might say.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts librarian Ewain spoke out: "Brother captain, is this really wise? If the inquisition finds out about our involvement in this procedure they might become suspicious, if so they might stumble upon the marks of our actions...which could bring us some problems."

"Then we will leave no marks they might stumble upon." Michael replied, hands clasped behind back. "Brothers, in approximately a month our battle barge will be here, she carries enough guns to properly purge this planet of its taint. Meanwhile however we much contain the disease while pursuing our true objective, is that understood?"

"But brother, if the inquisition finds out-"

"They will not, how will they when the whole planet has been scorched down to its crust?" Michael interrupted, annoyed with the pensiveness of his brothers, true Fire Spectres should fear no bully of the empire's most morbid of organisations...they were stronger than that damn it! "And what would they do if they did? They already hate us as it is."

"They could put us on trial." Fichus suggested, shrugging.

Michael snorted. "And say what? That we were in the area when an artefact they stole disappeared? Any trial would be ridiculous. We were simply doing a _routine_ purge, and if they wish to search our ships they can ask my bolter." He smirked at the thought. "We cooperate to a point with those people brothers, but only to a point, remember that. Now stop worrying."

"Yes brother." The others intoned, bowing slightly. Then Ewain added: "Fichus searching will take time brother-captain, and surely we will not stand idle meanwhile? You are not one to wait and see."

Michael glared at the other marine. "Stay out of my head."

Instantly the librarian bowed, lower then normally expected. "My apologies brother, but I did no such thing, I merely remarked on your character, which I know of from years of fighting with you."

"Very well." Michael nodded, silently apologising. He of course realised it was what his fellow marine had meant, but he liked keeping loose cannons like librarians and initiates in a short leash. "And you are correct, while brother Fichus searches for the mark of detection you will cast your vision out and find any survivors."

He could almost see the librarian grimace within his helmet. "While I find the thought of looking through so many lost souls repugnant I will of course do so... I must ask however, why brother? Surely there is a reason for this?"

"We will use this moment to recruit."

A snort escaped the central marine. "Recruit brother-captain? There _might_ be a hundred survivors on the planet by now, probably less, why try to find a passable recruit in such a place?"

Michael momentarily clenched his fist, showing he would allow no disrespect, though the helmsman didn't react, being a pure Fire Spectre as he was. _Good_. "Yes, and these survivors are a fine selection of the population. Many might have survived by chance, others might be those useless women...but the strong are those who survives the natural selection as this curse...and we will find them."

"More men would be good, we had far too many losses on the Dalmarian campaign." The helmsman muttered, making them all nod. It had been a catastrophic campaign, too many orks, too many eldar tricks...the Fire Spectres had finally pulled out and let the imperial guard die instead. A shame they hadn't made that decision sooner...too many companies were still understrength.

"Exactly, so we will try to rectify that."

Fichus cocked his head to the side. "But with the taint of the planet...how can we be sure we won't introduce it into the chapter itself?"

Michael nodded with a frown on his face, having considered it. "We must tighten the tests further on all found subjects, triple-check them even. And once they are given the gift of being turned into an astartes there will be no doubt that they are as pure as any of us." He glanced at the libratrian. "After all, being a marine of the Spectre's is the definition of purity, is it not?"

Ewain bowed, his voice calm as he spoke: "Many will no doubt fail brother, what about them?"

"As I said, we _are_ here to purge the planet of _all_ taint, potential or current makes no difference."


	4. Chapter 4

"There's so little left..." Edwin muttered, placing a hand on the last full bag of potatoes. "We won't last more then a week with these supplies, and I'm all out of painkillers and such...which have the others riding my ass...uh...father."

Ignoring him the grey-robed preacher stepped into the dark basement room.

It wasn't as spacious as Edwin had believed when he first walked into it. Back then it had seemed so large, filled with supplies. Now a mere week later much of the room was open space, that and piles of empty crates and a far to fast diminishing supply of foodstuff that by now had been pushed into one corner to separate it from the empty crates and bags.

Not only that but Edwin had reason to suspect rats had somehow gotten into the place...some of their food had been nibbled, and with them being out on every medicine they were pretty much screwed if any disease broke out among them. Of course someone might be breaking in and...Edwin pushed the thought aside, last time such an accusation was thrown about a man had been executed by the sisters and thrown to the zombies outside.

"Then we will cut rations." The preacher interrupted his thoughts as he turned to look at him. The preacher was a middle-aged monster of a man, so fat that he was almost round, his greying hair always sweaty...as was his equally round face. He was not laughable though, they grey eyes looking back at Edwin were hard, and Edwin had seen the man bend a steel bar to prove the might of the emperor...

At first he only stared at the preacher, unable to understand, then he grew cold. "What? Again!? Are you crazy!?" At the mere thought of cutting rations his stomach rumbled, they already ate too little, some of the older people were looking paler and paler...and he was sure that boyfriend to the pregnant woman hadn't eaten at all for days now, his rations going to her.

"Oh ye of little faith." The man even smiled at him!

Shaking his head furiously Edwin made an exasperated gesture. "Didn't you hear me!? We're out of medicine! If we cut rations people _will_ start to get sick! Without anything to help against that we might as well shoot them!"

The preacher's eyes squinted at him, the pig-like face crunching up in irritation, the young medical student found himself swallowing. "Do you doubt the power of faith? The emperor _will_ deliver us from this hell! And when he does he will not save any unbelievers, they will be left with the rest of the unfaithful." Unfaithful...an odd word for a slavering monster that had once been your friend...

"Well of course not." Edwin hurriedly answered, to be truthful he had doubts about their rescue, mostly during his nightmares...though it was becoming harder and harder to maintain faith while awake nowadays as well. "I see the power of the emperor as well as you do, every day while up on the ramparts actually. It's just...the emperor might protect us against the evil of chaos and the like...but he can't really fill our stomachs."

The preacher shook his head, smiling slightly. "You still do not fully understand the power of the emperor, a few weeks ago I would have taken the whip to educate you..." He chuckled, finding something funny in it even as Edwin paled. "But now I will ask a question instead, how much do you think the sisters eat?"

"Erm..."

"Half a loaf of bread and two glasses of water a day, some even less." The large man's smile was the same he got when he preached out on the main floor, which he did most of the day. "Yet they are filled with vigour! They speak of victory! No hesitation! No fear! No weakness! They do not need to feed like us! For they have faith! We must inspire this faith within each and every one of us to survive until our liberation!"

Edwin wished he could be that positive about their chances, he also wished he had the balls to tell the preacher that others didn't have enough body fat to survive for a month without eating... "I guess that will be your department then, but I'm telling you right now, cut rations and people will start to die."

"To thin the herd of the weak and the unfaithful is a blessed work, for he who sees all will judge them, and us for being strong of faith." The preacher's words sent a chill down Edwin's spine. Of course he'd seen executions and the like...but he _knew_ these people! And there were so few left...and so close...he didn't want anymore death. Not one spoken of so easily either... "Do not worry boy, do your duty and do it well, with faith in the emperor no harm will befall you, nor blame."

"Would you tell the others that?" Edwin grimaced.

A hearty laugh escaped the man, making Edwin's grimace even worse as he remembered his old man, whose beer gut also shook like that when Edwin got to him with an honest question. Why did people always laugh at him anyway!? "Do not fear, the emperor provides."

"That he does." Edwin sighed, shoulders dropping. "Though I'd like to be able to walk around without people glaring at me..."

"A small price to pay for survival."

"True..."


	5. Chapter 5

"And after I managed to drop said scalpel into the chest of the corpse...things sort of got out of hand." Edwin explained, his head resting against the wall of the chapel. "I mean...it would have been fine if I hadn't panicked...." He grimaced at the memory, that they had simply settled for throwing him out had been a small miracle all things considering.

There was no reply from the kneeling sister next to him though, her covered head turned towards the outside, where nothing had changed. He sighed, as always nothing had changed, there was the same bloody thing _every day_! Even _if_ they had food to continue indefinitely he was sure he was going to go mad after a while.

Looking down he saw the others, most didn't even listen to the incessant speeches of the preacher today, too tired to listen as they barely kept themselves awake. A combination of weariness and starvation had left most of them weak and tired, at times someone coughed. "Man...half of the ones down there hate me by now, but I can't very well help them without any medicine! It's frustrating...at least you guys don't seem to get sick, you got to teach me that trick someday."

No reply, the sister content to mutter her prayers. Edwin frowned, _figures_...

Then the sister suddenly stirred. Flinching Edwin followed her gaze, seeing something..._burning_ coming down from the sky.

A second later he found himself falling over as the ground shook with a massive impact, then another, and _another_...Edwin found himself holding unto the floor in an effort not to roll around as the impacts continued. He felt warmth against his back, a crackling sound reaching his ears, a crackling of fire...Putting his arms over his head he screwed his eyes shut, a muttered prayer escaping his lips as he waited for the strange fire to consume them.

The ground heaved, someone screamed. He was sweating, the extreme warmth forcing all moisture out of him... Pebbles rained over him as the roof shuddered, ready to collapse.

Though it felt like an age he knew it was just a few seconds before it stopped.

All was quiet...

Gingerly getting to his feet he looked back, finding the others huddling around the preacher, pale faces looking to him for strength as he pushed his hands out, voice strong as he called out. "The day of judgement is at hand! The emperor is here to save us! All shall be judged!"

Edwin managed to suppress the urge to run down there and join the others, but not to look out through the window.

There he found the ground scorched by fire, the zombies that had surrounded them reduced to nothing but a few charred remains. A few buildings around theirs had been completely levelled, others torn to a few shreds of upright stones...yet theirs still stood, virtually untouched. Why?

It _was_ a miracle! The world was right now scoured of the evil that had infested them! They would be free to rebuild! All horrors would be gone! All suffering gone! They had passed the test and been found pure!

"Praise the emperor!" The preacher cried out, and Edwin found himself echoing the sentiment.

Then the scream of an engine reached his ears, craning his neck out the window he saw a massive shuttle hurtle over them. It was dark red in colour and square in structure, a golden imperial eagle etched over its side. The wings sticking out of the main structure surprisingly small while the engines at its back were obscenely large. Edwin bet it could fly really fast...though as he watched it turned mid-flight, wobbling slightly as it came down for a landing....right in front of the chapel!

Rooted to the spot Edwin could do nothing but grin, they were _saved_!

With a clank the strange shuttle landed upon the plaza, crushing zombie remains while the ramp already begun descending, a hazy white smoke escaping it.

Then _they_ came out.

At least nine feet tall in height the giants were as wide as a car by the shoulders. Clad in dark red armour and black shoulder pads they almost looked like machines, if Edwin hadn't seen the heavily armoured battle sisters he wouldn't have believed them to be _human_. But they all wore the golden imperial eagle on their chest...and carried bolters that were even larger than the sisters', all marked by the imperial eagle.

It couldn't be...Edwin couldn't believe that....the stories of that were not only real...it was _here_!

Space marines!?

With a crash the front gate was smashed open, splinters sent flying inwards as the foremost marine simply bashed his way in, the group marching in with confident steps. They were _saved_!

Still, the others on the table cringed back, having not seen all he'd seen they were still afraid, probably expecting the monsters to enter at any moment. The sisters weren't saying anything, though they had turned to look at the large warriors stepping into the chapel, their muttered prayer still continuing.

"Liberation is at hand!" The preached exploded, leaping forward he stretched his arms wide, smile equally wide. "The angels of death are here! Coming to free us from the shackles of chaos! We are liberated! The emperor be praised! Great warriors! We hail you as saviours!" He dropped to his knees, face shining with tears of happiness.

Edwin couldn't help but smile as well, though the silent behaviour of the giants was confusing. Ten in numbers they had already spread out across the main floor, two of them stood at the head though. One of them wore a white armour in strange contrast to the dark red of the others, the other wore armour more adorned than the others, a heavy looking pistol in his hand while the other clutched a glittering sword from which arcs of lighting escaped at times.

None had his face bared, black eye pieces looking the gathered people over.

Inching closer the preacher held out his hands. "Speak oh mighty champions of the emperor! Impart your wisdom! Tell us what to do oh mighty-"

A curt wave from what obviously had to be the leader silenced the preacher as the adorned marine turned to the white armoured one. "Apothecary, your opinion?" His voice was like gravel, harsh and uncaring. But it _human_, human and full of _power_, power to save them all!

The white armoured marine looked about himself, black lenses taking them all in. "Twelve sororitas and four other women...useless, five of the men aren't even worth testing...marked."

Edwin frowned in sudden confusion, _marked_?

"Very well." The leader replied.

Then he brought his pistol to bear and blew a hole straight through the still kneeling preacher.

Blinking Edwin found his mouth turning dry as he watched the preacher sag to the side, torn organs and blood pouring out over the floor behind him. Parts of..._him_...was splattered over the huddled people on the floor.

What...had just happened?

Then all turned into chaos, people screaming, sisters raising weapons...bolters firing.

The two sisters on the second floor opposite him twitched as bolter fire tore through the floor they stood on and smashed through them, tearing apart their legs and dropping them to the floor.

The pregnant woman jerked, the top of her skull exploding.

Her boyfriend rushed forward with a roar, but none shot him, instead he was backhanded by the apothecary, teeth and pieces of his jaw sent flying across the floor.

A sister had her right arm torn off, sagging to her knees she tried to grab it with her remaining hand, only to fall forward and land head first in the floor with a crack.

Another sister's hip exploded, bone and blood spraying the inside of the chapel wall.

A third opened fire, only to have her chest explode as bolt of blue energy enveloped her torso, melting her armour into her body. She fell without a sound.

An elderly man stumbled sideways as his ten year old granddaughter blew into pieces, her blood covering him. A look of shock crossed his face before a massive fist caved his skull in.

Then the sister he had been 'talking' to stepped forward, bolter levelled. She fired twice, both shots bouncing off a raised shoulder plate of the leader of the marines...who fired back. With a jerk the woman was tossed back by the power of the shot...right into Edwin.

Desperately grabbing her by the shoulders he tried to steady himself as he found them both stumbling back against the window...then she jerked under a second shot, sending them both tumbling through the window.

The world spun for just a moment, then his face became mashed into ashen grass, choking him with black flakes, the smell of sulphur irritating his nose.

Struggling to his knees he saw the sister lay a few feet away from him, face downwards, a small trickle of dark blood running down from the hole in her stomach. She was stirring though, bolter hanging from her shoulder via a strap while her trembling arms pushed her upwards, a cough escaping the sagging helmet.

Behind him he heard guns still going off...and screams...so many screams.

They would _kill_ them!

Shaking off his dazedness he stumbled unto his feet, eyes wide as he looked around himself. Far in the distance down the streets he could already see shambling shapes appear, slowly moving towards them. Zombies... Behind him another scream was quickly ended by the sound of a gun going off.

A grate! A few feet away, once hidden by the horde of undead, a grate no doubt leading to the sewers was!

Suddenly decisive he leapt forward, grabbing the sister under the armpit he pulled her with her, eliciting a small moan from her as he whispered. "Come on! We must leave!" He coughed, flakes of ash escaping his mouth. "We must...move!"

Dizzy he forced himself to move on, the pair slipping on ash and stumbling on the ground as weary and shocked limbs tried to move.

Any moment now...any moment a giant would appear in that window...see them and...

Slipping Edwin came down on one knee, fingers instantly gripping hold of the grate and pulled, it was heavy, but he was desperate.

Any moment...he could feel it...gaze boring into his back...gun trained on him...

With a clank the grate was pulled off, landing heavily a few feet away from them as the desperation granted Edwin power enough to pull it off and then some.

There was no more firing...they had killed them all...soon one would appear and....

"Come on! You have to wake up!" He slapped the sister, new pain entering him as the hard steel met his fingers. She barely stirred. Instead he simply grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her towards the dark hole before them. "Grab unto the ladder there! Yes that's it!" A feeble hand came to rest on the top rung of the ladder leading into the dark sewer, the sister obeying despite barely being conscious.

A bullet in the back...tearing through him...his body afire...

Holding her by the stomach he guided her to climb down..._too_ heavy!

Yelping Edwin found himself falling for the second time this day, this time it was head first though as he was pulled down by the weight he was holding unto. He saw a blur of steel rungs hurtle past him...a horrible stench of decay struck him...pain mixed with terror as his knee hit a rung on his way down...he heard a thud as the sister landed somewhere beneath him.

Then all went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Brother-captain Michael grimaced as he looked down at the two new craters in his shoulder plate.

He had been too confident and sluggish, there was no question about it, they shouldn't even have been allowed to raise their weapons before he and his marines had wiped them out dammit! Now he would have to repair this one...the machine spirit would not be pleased...not to mention techmarine Fichus!

Looking about himself he silently noted the chapel insides. Not much in the marks of bullets...a few weak holes where a bolter round had punched through someone and then struck the wall...and of course a few missed shots from the sisters.

At least his brothers hadn't wasted ammunition.

Which was evident by the blood splashed over the walls. The armour piercing kraken bolts used by six of his marines had torn the sisters on the ramparts apart, limbs and entrails hanging from the second floor like obscene decorations. Of the others there wasn't much left, the bolts used on them had practically torn them to shreds, blood and pieces of bone covering what was left of the bodies.

Kicking the top half of a head aside he turned to look outside, casually noting the way his brothers had fanned out in a semi circle against the outside of the chapel. Far away he could already see a new wave of the unclean approach, the plague zombies were too many to make any _real_ dent in them with the firepower at his disposal, even with _The Pure_ in artillery support it was stupid to resist.

He and his brothers had...he eyed the avalanche of foes approaching...three minutes though, nothing to worry about.

Sighing he shot out a mental impulse to his armour, activating the communicator. "This is captain Michael, our mission here is complete, what is the status for the relic localisation?"

The communicator crackled as the dark sky above him interfered with the signal...then came through clear: "This is techmarine Fichus. We have a negative on that, there are a magnetic storm that is making localisation difficult, we are narrowing the signal down though."

"I urge you to hurry brother, I do not wish to be caught red-handed by any nosy inquisitor." Michael growled, annoyed. This was such a _waste_ of time, when the barge arrived they would purge the planet...though at least they now had a new recruit. Though considering the Fire Spectre's failure percentage it wasn't much...too many were too weak when it came down to it. Too many weaklings nowadays... "And send a thunderhawk down for pick-up, we're done here."

Then he heard a slight scrapping sound.

Turning he noticed one of the sisters stir from where she lay in a corner. He remembered her, she had fallen from the second floor, bounced against a bench and then slid down into the corner...spraying blood over him and his brothers all the way. No surprise there, with her left leg blown off by the knee and a huge rip diagonally across her stomach...the surprising part was her being _alive_.

Taking a step towards her he raised his pistol, though he didn't fire, curious how far _this one_ could make it.

With a squelching sound the woman fell unto her stomach, gauntleted hands reaching out towards the middle of the chapel and pulling...a weak moan escaped the cracked helmet as she slowly slid forward.

Silently following Michael watched her hands blindly reach out for a bolter obviously too far away...then come down, dig into the edge of a tile and pull her onwards. Three sounds reached his ears when he focused on her, the sound of ceramite dragging against stone, flesh crushing against stone...and a whispered prayer.

"Surprisingly tenacious aren't you?" He asked, cocking his bolt pistol while following.

The sister ignored him, or perhaps she couldn't hear him anymore? Either way she continued, praying all the way while leaving a trail of blood and torn organs in her wake, a part of her intestine having wrapped itself around her wounded leg...yet she moved on, apparently not realizing that she was supposed to die.

"Impressive, a miracle or the first hint of becoming one of the unclean?" Michael shrugged, crushing an end of the woman's intestine and grinding his foot down, tearing it apart. "Doesn't really matter though."

A mere moan was the sister's reply. Through the large crack on the top of her helmet Michael could see the top of her skull...perhaps she was blonde, it was hard to tell with all the dark blood in her hair. From the hole he could also smell vomit and tears...he snorted, weakling...

"Brother captain." Turning his head Michael found the apothecary saluting him, white helmet stained by blood from one of the tests where the subject had struggled too much.

"Ah, brother apothecary, how is our patient?" With a new sloshing sound something fell out of the battle sister as she continued her useless struggle.

The brother shrugged. "He is still sedated..." Yes, _sedated_, Michael remembered the blow that almost knocked the man's skull off. "...but he is stable and I have tended to his wounds, he will make it, I recommend that we hold training for two weeks."

"You're recommendation is noted." Michael dully replied, damn apothecaries...their duty really affected their judgement, a Fire Phoenix did _not_ hold training because of a broken jaw...so neither should a new recruit. "Anything else about him?"

"He shows a high probability for organ failure during future procedures, so I recommend additional testing." The apothecary shrugged, that problem was common after all. "Yet...I must also mention that two of the inhabitants in the chapel escaped down into the sewers."

"I'm not _blind_ brother, I saw them fall out the window as well." Michael snorted. "They are not worth the trouble however, one of them was a sister...and with the zombies approaching it's just not worth to find them. The probability of the man being a potential recruit isn't high enough to excuse the expenditure in time and ammunition. Let the unclean eat them."

"Yes brother." The apothecary nodded, his opinion on the matter concealed behind a neutral tone. Before them the sister's prayer turned into a whisper as something new dropped out of her, only to get crushed under her still moving armour. Smelled like...a kidney? "Master, why haven't you executed that thing yet?"

Michael chuckled, looking down at the sister whose fingertips now brushed the grip of her weapon. "Just fascinated by her strength, a shame we can't recruit women isn't it brother?"

"Yes captain." The apothecary hesitated. "Um...should I?"

"No, let me, her strength should be rewarded." Stepping forward Michael put a foot on the battle sister's back, drawing a wheeze from her and letting another piece of organ drop out by the pressure. "A bolt instead of bleeding to death...a great honour."

The sister probably didn't hear him, instead she continued reaching out, he could almost _smell_ her frustration as the trembling fingers pushed her weapon out of reach once more. Her hands begun to drop, shaking uncontrollably as shock finally begun to set in, though she was still muttering that prayer...

Heh, _cute_.

Her skull exploded, the bolt entering through the hole in her helmet and slamming right into the inside of her faceplate before exploding, creating a small fountain as the blood gushed up through the hole.

Holstering his smoking gun Michael stepped away and turned to his brothers in time to see the thunderhawk come in low, engines screeching as it came down for a hard landing. A glorious sight...Michael found himself smiling, he always loved the sight of a good extraction, especially when there were no losses.

"So lets toss this useless new recruit into the ship and go to the next group of survivors..."


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh..." Edwin instantly regretted regaining conciousness.

His head was _pounding_...and his left knee and hand throbbed with pain...and he had an odd feeling of having forgotten something...

Then it came back, the zombies, the marines coming...the massacre of his survivors...the fleeing. "Ah!" His eyes opened wide as he grasped for something, anything to defend himself with, instead he only found his fingers clawing through slick sludge before reaching a cold stone floor.

A dozen feet ahead of him there was a grimy looking wall curving towards him at the roof, between him and the wall there were two small 'sidewalks', one which he was sitting on, between _them_ there was a small river of dark brown water...that stunk.

Oh right...they were in the sewers.

Groaning he sat up, his right hand coming up to rub the back of his head as he glanced down at himself.

It was not a pretty sight.

The front of his shirt and pants were covered with black sludge, so thick that he barely saw the shape of his own body. Despite that he could still see that his left hand wasn't in the best of shapes, it had clearly swollen up from whatever blow it had received, heavy bruising barely concealed by the cold goop. Though he couldn't really see his left knee under the filth he had the feeling that he was bleeding from it.

Great, infection ahoy, whoopee...

At least he was still alive...and since he saw no ladder nor that hole he had fallen through he guessed himself to be in relative safety for the moment. But who had...oh right...the sister. Finding her was a simple case of looking to his left.

She was propped up against the wall next to him, her left hand still clutching that bolter of hers while the right lay limply in a pile of sludge. Her helmet was still on, leaning against the wall so that its red lenses looked up at the roof. She wasn't moving... Suddenly afraid Edwin noticed the splash of dark blood over her slim stomach where two craters had been made from the return fire that marine had poured into her.

Wincing he rolled over unto his knees, ignoring the way both his knee and hand stung when he put weight upon them. Inching closer he reached out, using his club-like left hand as support while the right moved to clasp the cold helmet of the sister. There was no stirring from her by the contact...dread crept upon Edwin as his fingers struggled to find some sort of release catch.

Come on, it should be somewhere around the ring by the neck, or could it only be...

With a click his fingers pushed against something, a moment later a hiss escaped the neck of the power armour as the helmet came loose.

She was probably dead...taking a deep breath Edwin forced himself to grab a hold of the helmet and pull it off.

For some reason he had expected to find a beautiful warrior maiden. Instead he found himself looking at a gaunt face with overly pronounced cheekbones and a long blade-like nose. Her hair was black and stringy, almost oily. She was also pale, if due to blood loss or all the time spent in her churches and within that helmet he couldn't tell. There was no stirring from her though, eyes closed, face relaxed.

"Oh no..." Edwin's shoulders dropped. Dead, she was dead...and he was alone. "I...I don't want to die. Please...no...not here...not alone...emperor...please." He swayed where he sat, the pounding in his head getting worse. "Emperor, please, let her live...I can't..."

"The emperor is always with you." Blinking Edwin found the sister's eyelids flutter up, dark brown eyes gazing straight forward, weary. "I am alive."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Edwin put a hand to his forehead. "Oh man what a relief! You really scared me there."

"My...apologies." The woman frowned, eyes unfocused as they turned to look at him. She looked exhausted.

Placing his damaged hand on her shoulder Edwin forced a smile. "Nothing to it! I'm just so happy that I'm not alone!" He glanced to his left and right, wondering where they now where. "Where's that hole we fell through?"

"I...dragged you away from that place...so as...not to get killed." The sister panted, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. A fever no doubt...and those wounds of hers weren't helping. "We're...safe."

Edwin laughed. "Yeah, stranded on a planet full of undead and astartes wanting to kill us, safe indeed!" The woman blankly looked back, obviously not understanding. "Forget it...just joking around..."

"You seem...to do that...a lot."

"Oh?" Edwin raised an eyebrow, forcing himself to look cheerful. "You were one who actually listened to me blabbering on?"

"Can't...avoid it." The sister actually smiled back, if only slightly. "Sorry, I'm not...accustomed...to interact...with anyone...but my sisters."

"I'm aware." Edwin patted her shoulder, wincing slightly how his hand stung at that, he kept smiling though. "To be honest I would never have dared to speak to anyone of you before...all this... When you stand guard by the doors to the church you all look so...scary."

"Scary?" The eyes looked away, focused on something on the wall behind Edwin, a glance back showed him nothing but a filthy wall though. "I...haven't...thought of us...as scary. We're...tools...of the emperor."

"Some tools are scarier then others though." Edwin laughed as he lowered his hand, casually putting it into the sludge on the floor, it was probably bad...but the coldness enveloping the throbbing hand felt good...he couldn't help himself. "Speaking of tools...what the hell happened back there? The astartes are the heroes of our psalms! Why would they..." He motioned for the surroundings, words failing him.

"Heretics..." The woman snorted, the pale face twisting into a grimace. "They must be...the emperor will punish them, be assured...death will come to them...on swift...wings."

"Uh...right." Edwin frowned, remembering the scene of the slaughter of the people in the chapel such words were hard to believe. They had been _invincible_... and for the emperor to punish them...the angels of death..._his_ angels...everything was too messed up to make any sense out of it. "Are you okay?"

"I...have...been better." The woman panted, the hand clutching her weapon tightening as the other moved up towards her wounds...

Edwin quickly brushed the filth-covered hand away. "Hey, no putting crap into the wound please." Right..._hypocrite_...he glanced at his own damaged hand half submerged in cold sludge. Edwin sighed, looking about himself for something, _anything_ to help. "I wish I could help you somehow...but so far I got nothing."

"The wounds...are not severe..." The sister replied, an obvious lie considering her paleness. Probably no organs damaged, but if she was still bleeding...Edwin didn't like the conclusion. "I...need...some rest. I...dragged you...here, rest..." She blinked, slowly as her shoulders slumped. "Rest..."

"Hey, stay awake now." Edwin forced himself to give her a small slap, then he instantly found himself looking into brown eyes shooting daggers at him, focused at last...at him. Recoiling he managed to keep his voice steady. "Good, as I said, awake is good for you right now...especially since I need your help."

The anger faded, the woman too tired to stay upset with such a blatant show of disregard of one of the emperor's chosen. Heck, Edwin was surprised at his own guts, then again...much had changed these last few weeks. "What...help can..._I_...offer?"

"Well, where do we go now?" Edwin looked about himself, the rumbling in his stomach was worrying...as was the fact that they were both injured and surrounded by death. The fact that he barely felt any worry at the situation was worrying in itself, he was getting jaded...or perhaps he had simply accepted his fate?

No, don't despair...you have some chance to...erm..._don't_ despair...

"I...do...not know." The sister breathed, gasping slightly. "We...can't go...up...unclean."

"Yeah, _unclean_." Edwin managed a strangled chuckle, glancing at the filth surrounding him. "So no going up then eh? And lost in the sewers without food and water...beaten up as well...what to do?"

"Pray to the emperor..." The sister breathe, _of course_. "...and...walk...hope."

Edwin snorted, then shrugged, knowing there really wasn't anything better to do. "Damn, I barely know you and I already hate it when you're right." He stumbled to his feet and offered his good hand to the woman.

A small smile appeared upon the sister's lips as she took the hand, a whimper escaping her as he managed to pull her unto her feet. She nearly stumbled on into the water before he caught her, curling his arm around her waist while she put her left arm over his shoulders, armoured fingers digging into his shirt as she struggled to remain standing. "I'm...sorry."

Edwin shrugged as they begun their wobbly march. "Don't worry, just don't make it a habit."

A chuckle. "Very...well."

"By the way, name's Edwin."

"I...know...I'm...Joan..."

"Joan? Really? And here I thought you looked like an Adam."

"Excuse...me?"

"Another joke, sorry."

"Ah...funny...heh."


	8. Chapter 8

"I...I think that was the last fragment." Edwin muttered, his face strawberry red.

Sure, as a former medical student Edwin had seen naked women, but those hadn't been breathing...and looking at him with a curiously neutral look. Putting down the now blood-stained knife on the floor Edwin reminded himself...for the hundredth time he was sure...that he was crouched down in front of a nun, a _nun_ dammit!

"A...are you okay?" Great, she's still bleeding a little and obviously in pain after him having removed the small pieces of the bolt that had torn a shallow wound over a large area of her exposed stomach...and she asked if _he_ was okay! "You...you're red." She took a deep breath, gritting through the pain.

"Erm, yes...just focused." Edwin looked away, feeling his blush somehow getting worse. "Could you put the top part of your armour back on now? You might need it I mean."

"S...sure...hang on." Joan breathed, still in pain judging by her tone.

Looking away from the dressing battle sister Edwin grabbed the knife on the floor and cleaned it as best he could by wiping the blade off the heavy bench to his left. The room they had found was some sort of maintenance room, and it had been none too soon...he was still unsure how long they had simply slept right on the floor after having managed to close the door behind them...they had simply collapsed after the seemingly long march.

The place was dimly lit by a single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling by a once white cord. The desk to his left was dark and filthy from a long exposure to the sewer, the piles of steel grills and metal rods was a sure sign that whoever had used the place had used the bench as simple dumping ground. At least they had found a small box there containing a somewhat mouldy sandwich...

Edwin grimaced, after having cut off the worst of the mould he had been forced to share the already too small meal with Joan, and with her injured he had forced himself to give her the lion share...his stomach now regretted that. At least it had been something to eat...and with the sink and tap over to the right of the door they had been able to quench their thirst, not to mention clean up their wounds.

There was another bench over on his right, this one was almost bare however, a few rusty tools spread out across it. That and quite a lot of blood...someone had died there...then walked away, Edwin glanced over to the door and its damaged lock. Would it hold for a sudden zombie attack? He sure hoped so... "You think it's safe to sleep here?"

"I'm not sure it's safe to sleep anywhere, but it's _safer_..." Joan answered, groaning as she put something heavy back on. "And...I need to rest."

"Understandable." Edwin muttered, still eyeing the door. "C...could you do that whole praying thing? Keep the undead at bay you know?"

He turned at the surprising sound of hearing the woman chuckle, the now fully dressed battle sister smiling at him. "Sleeping and praying at the same time? Now that would be a feat..." Edwin felt fresh embarrassment even as the smile of the woman faded. "...I...I don't think a single person praying could do that however, especially not when..."

Edwin realised she wasn't going to continue talking. "Especially not when...what?"

"Nothing." Joan muttered, eyes downcast, fingers fiddling with the thick bolter in her lap."I should really clean this thing up..." She was right, it was covered in sludge and looked awful compared to the pristine weapon he'd seen over in the chapel...but so did them both. "It is a tool of the emperor and deserves the proper attention..."

Blinking Edwin realised that she was looking for an excuse to ignore the pressing need of her weapon. How surprisingly...human. "And you're a tool of the emperor as well, guess which one deserves the most attention?"

"Heh, guess you got a point." Joan agreed, not the least difficult to persuade as a weary smile crossed her lips, her head already falling back to rest against the wall. "I really need...rest." She was still pale, blood loss...Edwin wasn't sure his small help would be enough to keep her going when they didn't have enough food to help her regain her strength.

Sighing he glanced down at himself. Somewhat washed off he could see that the wound across his left knee wasn't as bad as he'd first thought, now cleaned it was a minor irritant, something he could easily ignore when he needed to. The hand was worse though...and still stung from the small cut he'd made over the fleshy part of his thumb. At least he had managed to press out most of the liquid in it, reducing the extremity to its original size and giving him back dexterity to it...he only wished he had some bandages for it.

"Rest would be good...I just hope I'll be able to sleep. I don't know about you but I'm scared of the nightmares I get all the time." Edwin licked his lips, the weariness pressing against his temple. "It's really no good rest...right Joan...Joan?"

Looking over he found the sister having her eyes closed, her body relaxed as she slowly breathed the breath of sleep...it was odd seeing one of the ever vigilant sisters sleep, her pale face so...human. Even as he watched Edwin saw the small lips press together in a grimace, a whimper escaping the now sleeping woman.

He smiled, shame she was a sister...if one got over the nose she was really quite...beautiful...he found his eyes closing as his head leant against the wall. When had that happened? He didn't want to...sleep...

Darkness...death...feeding...

Edwin had barely begun to become assailed by the nightmares when the door was slammed open.

Jerking up he managed to hit his head in the wall, making his vision swim and dropping him back unto the ground. He heard shouting...and the clatter of feet striking floor. "Oh...what's happening?" Rubbing the back of his head he looked up at a tense sight.

Somehow Joan had gotten to her feet, filthy bolter levelled at the two new arrivals with a blank look on her face. "Identify yourself."

"Sergeant Ron Lembrant of the twenty-third." One of the pair replied, his lasgun aimed at Joan. The dark skinned man had shortly cropped black hair and equally dark eyes...and looked as friendly as an arbiter with anger management issues. "And you are?"

Both of the new arrivals wore stained green uniforms of the guard...though they were both so torn and stained by blood that it was difficult to tell, none of them wore a helmet either. To Edwin they looked more like deserters then soldiers...

"Joan Kernian, of the sisters of the order of Our Martyred Lady." Joan replied, voice flat. "And her?" She motioned for the second figure.

Far shorter than the man the female trooper to his left had her gun levelled at Joan as well, though she seemed far more inclined to fire than him as she squinted her almond shaped grey eyes at the sister, her long mane of black hair stringy with grime. "I'm Li Hessian bitch, and you better lower that gun of yours before I burn a hole through your skull."

"Calm down Li, we're not dealing with the undead here." The man growled, lowering his rifle slightly, the woman merely snorted.

"Great, zombies wishing to eat us, astartes attacking us for no reason...and now the guard wants to shoot us." Edwin complained, too weary to fear the two armed psychopaths as he slowly got to his feet.

"Shut your hole you fucking civ." The female trooper barked, not taking her eyes of Joan, or rather...Joan's gun. "And stay there or I'll-"

"Private! Stow it!" The man growled, silencing the woman instantly. "We're not here to fight other survivors if they don't fight us. So I suggest we all lower our guns now..." Slowly the three lowered their rifles, though the foul mouthed woman seemed so itchy to begin firing again that Edwin found himself wishing he wore armour like Joan, embarrassing fit or not...

"It _is_ good to see other survivors, how long have you guys been here?" Edwin asked, looking the weary pair up and down. "Looks like quite some time...you stink worse then _we_ do, which I didn't think possible..."

Ron grinned, the mask of unfriendliness disappearing all of a sudden. "Heh, yeah I guess we've been here for quite some time, now..." The grin disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Wait...what did you say about astartes?"


	9. Chapter 9

"We heard something similar from a couple of now dead survivors...didn't believe it then though."

Joan was strangely silent, the sister wobbling after them with a face crunched up in a permanent grimace. Edwin couldn't really blame her, he himself felt weak even after the guardsmen sharing some of their food with him, and he didn't have severe blood loss. Glancing back he saw the woman whisper a prayer even as she stumbled, just catching herself in time before she got a face full of sludge.

That meant Edwin was the one who had to talk to the pair of troopers walking in front of them, the pair surprisingly relaxed considering the circumstances, only the woman of the two had her rifle raised in readiness. "You're saying the marines have killed other survivors as well?" The dark skinned man nodded, eyes focused on a bend ahead of them. "Why?"

Ron shrugged, casual. "Who knows? I've learnt to assume that the most shitty thing will happen by now...I've yet to be proven wrong."

"That's a bit of a bleak outlook isn't it?" The question drew a chuckle from Li, the female guardsman turning the corner they've arrived at and panning her rifle over a corridor looking like every other they've been through so far. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Spaceport." Ron muttered, holding his hand up all of a sudden and stopping all advance, his ears visible twitching. "I don't know about you but I don't intend to stay on this planet."

"Well if it's the worst case scenario we're looking at the place is either swarming with zombies or blown up." Edwin pointed out, drawing a glare from Li which made him pull back in sudden fear. If Ron died and it was only the three of them...she would no doubt shoot him. How could anyone have become like that? "And you know where it is?"

The guardsman still didn't move, a finger flicking the safety off even as he said: "Yes, we have a compass and map, but with the turning sewers and some place being blocked by debris or undead, progress has been slow..."

"Undead? Here?!" Edwin flinched, eyes roving the area in search for the shambling shapes, seeing nothing but darkness and the slowly moving water between the walkways. "I mean sure, one or two...but they couldn't stop you two right?"

"One or two?" Li snorted even as she turned to look down the dark hall where Ron was looking. "Try dozens? Or a hundred? The damn things have managed to enter through open grates or holes blasted through the ground."

"Oh...crap..." Edwin glanced back, remembering the grate they no doubt left open.

"What?"

"Um...n...nothing?"

Li whirled about, the cold muzzle of her rifle suddenly pressed against Edwin's jaw, making him freeze fast and Joan to awaken from her drowsiness and aim her boltgun over at the guardsman. Li ignored the threat though, eyes mere slits as she glared at Edwin. "What have you done!?"

"Well...we might have...left a grate open."

A curse exploded from Li's lips before she whirled over to glare at her sergeant. "See sir!? I told you these people were idiots!"

"Calm down, that grate is behind us no doubt." Ron muttered, still looking over at the dark corridor to their left. "It won't impede our march north...this might though."

"What? I don't see anything?" Edwin asked, even as he realised something was moving at the edge of the darkness ahead, _several_ something. "Oh no...nononono..."

Ron slipped down on one knee, the other guardsman standing up behind him while both levelled their rifles at the approaching group. Slowly Joan hobbled up to them, her face so pale that it almost seemed to glow in the darkness, a small grunt escaped her as she aimed her weapon down the corridor, leaving Edwin to take a step back and worry.

Emperor he wished he had a gun...

With a slow moan one of the shapes fell into the filthy water between the two walkways of the corridor, it got up though, water cascading off it as it stumbled towards them. More followed, some through the water and others on the walkways. Had they always been so large?

Their features mutated by the disease the once humans were surprisingly bulky, their clothes torn apart by claws, weapons and their own growths... No, they were not human...monsters.

"Li?" Ron muttered, still not firing.

"Almost a dozen." The woman replied, one hand trailing down to her belt. "Destroy?"

A sudden grin played on Ron's features. "Destroy."

Barely had the word left the man's lips before Li tossed the grenade, the explosive disappearing within the water between the walkways...

Edwin stumbled as the grenade went off, tearing apart three of the advancing shapes and throwing dirt and sludge all over, knocking several of the figures about. A second later ruby lasers tore through the darkness, lighting the corridor up and creating a play of long shadows and blood-coloured lights.

The foremost monster fell, scores of burns covering its face.

Then it got up.

Joan's boltgun opened up, tearing the head of the monster apart, showering the rest in its remains even as her second and third shot blew the legs off a second one, its guts pouring out over the sludge covered pavement while it continued on by pulling itself forward with its hands.

Li's and Ron's guns spoke as one, burning a seizable hole in the neck of a zombie, a gurgle escaping it as it tore at the air with its chunky hands...then it fell into the water, disappearing within it. Another had its entire arm burned to a few brittle bones...yet continued, the remaining arm stretched out in hunger.

Edwin paled...didn't these things _die_!?

Joan's gun roared out its protest, tearing the shoulder off the wounded zombie, the remains of the bolt tearing a hole through the face of a second one...both fell silently.

Growling Li leapt forward, combat boots smashing into the head of a zombie crawling forward even as she jabbed her rifle forward, impaling the neck of an advancing zombie on her bayonet. It reached out...only to explode as she poured a flurry of shots into its jaw, spraying her with blood and green goo. "Die you fracking-"

Grabbing her by the jacket Ron pulled the fellow guardsman back a moment before another zombie swept the space she had been occupying with its claws, knocking the remains of the now dying monster aside.

Pushing a lasgun into the eye socket of the zombie Ron fired...the monster instantly went limp and dropped to the floor.

All of a sudden it was over.

Realising he'd been ducking Edwin straightened, dusting himself off with as much casualness as he could muster. "Jeez...those things doesn't like dying."

"That's the problem." Ron muttered, busy glaring at a now surprisingly small Li. "What did I told you about charging?"

"Unless ordered to..." Li mumbled, looking almost like a scolded child while cleaning her bloody bayonet off. It looked...a little odd... "sir."

"The emperor...protects." Joan gasped, though pale she looked a little more alive now, invigorated.

Ron chuckled, glancing at his filth-encrusted boots. "Indeed he does sister." He checked his weapon, rough hands brushing some dust aside. "Now let us move on and...oh you got to be kidding me."

"What?" Edwin hadn't need to ask, the distant moans was hint enough...as was the growing shapes appearing from where the zombies had come from. "Oh...shit."

"There's...a lot of them sir." Li remarked, her blood lust gone. Edwin could only nod in agreement, watching as a solid wall of monsters appeared...he couldn't even begin to count them. "Orders?"

"What do you think!?" Ron growled, already turning. "Retreat! On me!" He leapt forward, leading them down the corridor leading away from the monsters, the other guardsman hot on his heels.

Groaning Edwin realised where that put him...stepping up he put an arm around Joan's waist and pulled her arm over his shoulders, steadying her as they stumbled after the retreating guardsmen.

"This...isn't...funny anymore."


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh!"

Edwin screwed his eyes shut, vainly struggling to shut out the sounds from the room next door.

"Oh sarge!"

The squeals disappeared again, only to be replaced by the creaking sound of a steel bed about to break. As it had for a far too long time in Edwin's opinion...he actually felt a little emasculated.

The two rooms the group had found after a day's march had actually been furnished for living, if a very simple one...Edwin wondered who had lived there, perhaps a worker not wanting to leave his work for too long...or maybe just a bum. Either way the place actually had not only running water, but a coffee maker, an almost empty fridge that was still running...and the large couch whose cushions Edwin and Joan was currently using as an improvised bed.

The other room had obviously been some form of sleeping room, and the storage for a few scavenged stuff that was still covered with dried up sludge. Whoever had lived in this place hadn't been the most sane of people. Li and Ron didn't find any problem with the stench of the stacked items in the corner though, their interest mainly in the somewhat clean bed, by now Edwin understood why...

"_Ah_! By the emperor!"

Groaning Edwin opened his eyes and glared at the grimy ceiling. "Emperor...won't they ever stop?!" Joan didn't answer, the sister busy sitting at the edge of their 'bed' and cleaning her boltgun with a tense look on her face, if it was due to her injuries, the sounds of the rowdy fucking or simple concentration he couldn't tell. "And why does Li sound like a little girl all of a sudden!? She didn't when she threatened to stab me for the fourth time..."

Joan shrugged, gaze still upon the soon to be spotless gun.

"Heh, a few weeks ago I would be so embarrassed to hear this...guess I'm too tired to care anymore huh?" Edwin sat up, knowing sleep wouldn't come soon...and he couldn't really blame the two soldiers, it was rather the thin steel door leading to the sewer making him nervous. He didn't want to get trapped by undead with such a feeble barricade... "Or maybe I'm just happy that _someone_ is getting lucky before he dies..."

That elicited something out of the sister, a mix of a hiss and a growl.

"Um...sorry?" Edwin raised his hands in surrender, watching as Joan carefully leant forward to place the now clean boltgun upon the floor, lips moving in a silent prayer. "Guess I'm a little talkative today...won't bother you if you want to sleep."

With her head partly turned away from him Edwin wasn't sure, but he could guess that the woman was actually smirking. "I do not believe I can sleep right now."

As if to mark her words there was a loud crack of something breaking, followed by pair of laughters...then more creaking, a broken bed apparently a small hurdle for the pair.

"It _is_ sort of cute though." Edwin admitted, a smile creeping up on him. "Something nice in all this hell and all that."

Joan snorted, suddenly idle hands tapping her armoured thigh. "I wouldn't call it _nice_." Edwin smirked at the sight of the sister suddenly looking very annoyed as her concentration turned away from her weapon. "It's...frustrating."

"Frustrating?"

"Perhaps wrongly termed." Joan added quickly, face reddening slightly as she pursed her lips in irritation. "I merely want to sleep, not listening to this...cavorting."

"Cavorting!?" Edwin managed a laugh, drawing a puzzled look from Joan. "Emperor you're sister to the fingertips aren't you?" She obviously didn't understand his meaning, frowning as she pondered whether he'd insulted her or not. "And hey, this might soothe that witch...I'm all for it."

"Right." Joan rolled her eyes in a surprisingly relaxed way, then fell back unto their cushions. "Could we _please_ talk about something else?"

"Sure...think we will reach the starport?"

"I have faith in the emperor."

"That's not really what I asked."

Joan snorted, pouting. "I...do not care much for our chances, but they are greater then they would be if we stayed and did nothing."

"You mean greater then nil? That's awesome! Your inspiring great faith into me!"

"Thank you." Joan smiled, oblivious.

"You..._do_ know I was being sarcastic right?" Edwin chuckled at the sight of the sister's smile turning into a confused frown. "Aw don't get upset, I'm just messing with you."

"Messing...?" Joan shot him a long look before shaking her head. "Emperor I miss the monastery...how can you make jokes after all this?"

Edwin shrugged, gaze drifting to the fridge as his smiled faded. "You have your prayers...I need something else? I guess it keeps me sane."

"I...can relate to that." Joan admitted, though it seemed to take a lot of effort. "Perhaps we all need something to keep us sane." She glanced at the door leading to the 'occupied' room. "Whatever it might be..."

"Oh! Oh! Oh _emperor_!" The squeal from the other side of the door went into a surprising high pitch all of a sudden, making Edwin and both Joan flinch. "Yes! _Yeeeesss_!"

"Or perhaps we're all insane?" Edwin suggested. "And _Jeez_...what _is_ he doing to to her!?"

"I don't want to know." Joan muttered, arms hugging her chest defensively. "And to call us insane...doesn't seem right."

Edwin rolled his eyes and fell back unto the cushions, hands behind his head as he forced himself to get some sleep. "Forget it Joan...I'll make you understand another day."

"Yeah..." The woman sighed. "...another day."


	11. Chapter 11

One couldn't think the planet to be infested from the bridge of _The Pure_, it looked just like any other of the thousands of planets Michael had visited.

Of course appearances were deceptive, every marine knew that by now. Michael had once seen a demon world that looked so innocent from a distance that had almost ordered them to leave, for no evil could live on such a place.

But evil was a weed, an infection hidden beneath a fine exterior, only visible once you'd burnt away the beauty and kindness covering it. Michael felt his shoulders stiffen at the memory, to cut away what you loved most, to burn it to cinders and let protests and begs fall to deaf ears...it was a strength you never had, but acquired. And then to see what you had loved for what it truly was...it seared away at the soul.

Forcing himself to relax he looked down at the datapad in his hands, tallying their works from the last days. "Three thousand rounds, eight canisters of flamer fuel and two ton of bombardment shells. An injured brother, a _dead_ brother...and five recruits." He frowned, the numbers were anything but pleasing. "I am not happy with this, five recruits is not enough to make up for a lost brother and so much ammunition."

"We are not here for recruits brother captain." Librarian Ewain pointed out, turning Michael found the librarian bowing slightly where he stood, gaze downcast.

"Thank you for the information, _most_ helpful." Michael snorted, scowling at the librarian. Then he turned to look at the helmsman. "Has there been any news of the barge? Is it close?"

"Still too far away to reach us with any message." The marine replied, curt. "As for any other vessels...none but a cobra class destroyer."

"Really?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "And why haven't I been informed of this sooner?"

The helmsman remained impassive. "I'm doing it now, the destroyer left a mere fifteen minutes ago."

"Elaborate."

"They arrived twenty minutes ago, did a standard hail of the planet, then contacted us once we came within their detection range. With you in decontamination I found myself forced to inform them of the situation, apparently no imperial vessel had received the planet's distress call and the destroyer was here on standard patrol."

"That's a surprise." Michael snorted, the imperial communication grid was like a sieve, not much information was actually caught. "So you told them about the infection and our mission to purge the filth?"

"Yes."

"_Nothing_ else?"

"Of course not brother."

"Very well." Michael nodded, frowning at the holographic map between him and his council. "I suppose it cannot be helped, but with the imperial machinery informed of the situation the time before an inquisitor picks up on it will be short. We must work faster." He glanced up at the techmarine standing a little to the side. "Brother Fichus, have you been successful?"

"Yes brother captain." The techmarine made a gesture, the holographic map between Michael and his council instantly came online. First showing the planet in its whole, but then quickly zooming in towards a spot that Michael found oddly familiar. "The signal is arriving from here, point four-six-eighty two. "

Michael frowned. "That is familiar...didn't we find some survivors in that area?"

"That is correct captain, but they were on the surface, the signal is coming from underneath the city, approximately here." He pointed at a glowing dot in the holographic projection, what had to be a few feet underground in the middle of a bunch of corridors criss-crossing one another. "Connected to the city's sewer system."

"That sounds like bad security." Michael pointed out.

"Perhaps not brother captain." Ewain muttered, fingers playing with the staff in his hands. "Most avoid the sewers, and those that work there would not go where they are not needed. Perhaps the site was chosen by virtue of psychology?"

"That's ridiculous." Michael glowered, making the librarian take a step backwards. _Coward_... "None the less, if that's where the placed it we will take it back. The problem will be getting back...helmsman, send a message to that other marine detachment we have out, I want all marines aiding us on this one."

The helmsman nodded, a hand coming up to press against his helmet as he switched to the long range communication within it. Why he still put his hand against his ear Michael didn't know, nor care. "Yes captain, sending retrieval order..."

Michael turned to Ewain, the librarian grimacing as he no doubt realised what the captain wanted. "You will accompany us brother, with your powers we can keep a majority of the unclean away from our rendezvous point, I will of course put a squad of marines with you."

"I suppose I will accompany you?" Techmarine Fichus asked, voice neutral. "You might need my aid in opening any security gates."

"It would go faster...and safer...then blasting them open with plasma and explosives." Michael admitted with a nod. "Very well, arm yourself well brother and I'll see you in the hangar." A wolfish smile played upon his leathery features. "We will hit the place hard and fast, cleanse all in our path and seize the relic, and then the planet will be purged by our great barge..."

There was a grin in Fichus voice when he bowed. "As you order brother."


	12. Chapter 12

The crash was loud enough to awaken the dead.

Jolting into awareness Joan grabbed her bolter and looked around herself in confusion, the world still a blur as her eyes adjusted to the world of the living. Next to her Edwin was also sitting up, eyes wide with fear, his filthy clothes still creased from the worried sleep they had shared.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Ignoring the man's question Joan struggled to her feet, feeling a little unsteady where she stood. She hadn't had nearly enough rest to recuperate from her injuries...pursing her lips Joan forced herself not to think about it. Instead she looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound.

Another crash was all it took, with eyes wide in horror she saw the door leading out to the sewer visibly buckle under the impact, one of the hinges tearing pieces of the wall with it as it inched inwards. An all to familiar moan followed through the door as the undead behind it struggled to get in.

Grunting Joan raised her bolter, a silent prayer passing her lips even as she heard Edwin curse under his breath, the man stepping up behind Joan.

Then the door leading to the other room opened, the two guardsmen stumbling out, both still struggling to get their uniforms and equipment on. They looked surprisingly...calm...though that impression was quickly fading as they fumbled with their lasguns, eyes on the buckling door.

"Emperor be damned!" The woman growled, making Joan flinch. Normally such heresy would be enough for her to put a bullet in the offender... now she settled for shooting the woman a glare, only to be met with an all too sweet smile. Great...maybe Edwin was right...damn him. "Orders Ro...sir?"

"Is there any other way out?" Edwin mumbled, nervously stepping from side to side.

The sergeant shook his head, eyes bitter. "No, there is no other door...not even a ventilation shaft big enough for even Li to slip through..." He eyed the door, putting the stock of the lasgun unto the ground as he moved to fasten the bayonet to the end of the rifle, the woman mirroring his movements.

"So the door it is then." Joan muttered, finding the thought oddly calming. Next to her Edwin crouched down to grab a steel rod he'd found, an improvised club against all those things...it was really a futile attempt to be useful. She couldn't complain about the thought though. "Any plan?"

Ron frowned, checking his belt and weapon with practised movement. "We should move to the right when we leave...we hit them hard and fast and then rush to the right, not stopping for anything."

Joan grimaced, the thought of running not all that tempting to a still exhausted body. Edwin looked equally apprehensive. "That's your plan? It's horrible!"

"Got any better idea kid? I'm all ears."

The crash of flesh against steel marked Ron's words, the creak of folding steel worrying, as was the sight of the upper part of the door bending inwards towards the centre of the door that was visibly wrinkling as it was pounded inwards.

In the darkness of the corridor outside she could see green and filthy shapes, clawed and thick hands raised in wordless rage.

"Erm...no." Edwin replied, pushing his shoulders back as he stretched sore muscles. Joan would have done the same by now...but she didn't trust it wouldn't hurt too much.

"Great." Ron turned to Joan. "You, sister, I want you to blow the door with that gun of yours, me and Li will get grenades through, then we move through, blasts anything we find aside and clear the right side for a run...got it?"

Joan bowed her head, placing the bolter up against her shoulder in readiness. She didn't like how heavy it felt... "Yes, let us purge our way free."

Before her Li went over to the right side of the door as both her and Ron inched forward, freeing grenades from their belts, rifles under their arms. She felt Edwin's hand on her shoulder, the man's voice hesitant. "I'd advice carefulness...you're still weak."

"Noted." Joan replied, suppressing a smile, he was surprisingly sweet...for a non-sister. "And I feel no weakness any more." She lied without thinking, her breathing calm...though it was quickly picking up speed as she saw one of the hinges crash open.

"_Now_ sister!"

Suppressing a scathing reply Joan settled for putting the buckling door into her cross-hair...and then fired off a flurry of shots.

The heavy bolts punched right through the steel, slamming into the creatures behind in explosions of gore, some blood exploding through the holes in the door as the undead begun to die. Barely had Joan seized firing when the door began to buckle once more, a fresh horde slamming themselves against the failing obstacle.

She fired again, emptying the entire clip she watched the door buckle under the barrage, then fall forward, it and the now dead monsters behind falling into the sewage water behind them.

Moving to reload Joan watched Li and Ron toss a grenade each through the open doorway, the dual explosions tearing apart the fresh arrivals of undead. One of them stumbled into the room, its back torn into one big wound, creating a carpet of blood behind it as it went on towards Joan, arms reaching out towards her.

With a yell Edwin threw himself forward, steel rod swinging, crashing into the skull of the beast. It fell unto one knee, part of the skull caving inwards. Still alive it waved its arms at him...only to miss as he went around it and lashed out another two times, almost tearing the beast's head off its shoulders.

With a squelch it fell to the floor, arms blindly reaching after any prey it might reach. Edwin was already on top of it, rod rising and falling as he turned its head into mush. A manic look on his face.

Forcing herself to look away from the sight Joan brushed past him, now reloaded gun spitting fresh death into the creatures struggling towards the doorway. Li and Ron whirled about, lasguns adding to the fire and cutting down all that appeared. "Forward!"

Heeding his own order Ron rushed through the doorway, bayonet digging into a zombie's eye and pushing it over the edge of the walkway and into the water. Li instantly followed, turning her gun to the right as she passed the doorway she fired off a flurry of shots against an enemy Joan couldn't see.

Following in their wake Joan instantly found herself confronted with a shocking sight.

To her left she saw a few, perhaps eight, undead approach, their already filthy shapes covered in sewage, clawed hands stretched out towards them. To their right...she couldn't count them...a wall of zombies was practically right on top of them, scuffling for space as they marched on. One of them losing its hand as Li looped it off with her bayonet, the beast didn't care though, its other hand grabbing Li's armour by the chest.

With a growl the woman kicked out, sending herself tumbling back and the zombie holding her flak armour in a clumsy paw. Rolling unto her knees Li put a shot into the beasts knee, sending it stumbling...and then fall into the sewage as another pushed past it in its eagerness to rend the flesh of the living.

"We go left! Left!" Ron shouted, a hint of panic in his voice as he tossed a grenade into the massive pack on their right. The explosion in the back didn't even faze the horde... "Kill the ones on the left!" Li and Joan obeyed, both bringing their guns upon the eight beasts ahead of them, barely aware of a cursing Edwin bringing up the rear, uselessly waving his rod at the horde on their rear.

One of the beasts ahead of them exploded, the waist of what once might have been a woman blowing apart and leaving the torso tumbling into the water. Another fell, a flurry of laser blasts burning away the thick growths around its head, exposing a roughly human skull, the white bone not at all filthy, much to Joan's surprise.

Rushing forward Ron stabbed one of the creatures in the stomach, pushing it back into another one and tripping them both over the edge of the walkway and into the water. An instant later he had to duck from a third one's swipe, his lasgun burning a deep wound in its chest. It kept going though...until Joan blew its chest apart with a round of her own.

As one Joan, Li and Edwin rushed forward, two guns spitting fire while Edwin waved his bloodied cudgel over his head. Two more beasts fell, one loosing its entire leg while another had its arm burnt to a cinder, a third getting a gutted by a sweeping bayonet, then its head crushed by a steel rod.

They begun to run.

Then Joan found the floor flying towards her face.

Blinking she found stars dancing before her and the taste of her own blood in her mouth. Rolling unto her back she looked down...and found a sight before her that froze her to the very core.

The horde was almost upon her, a wall of filth-covered monsters, their mutated features twisting into grimaces of hunger as they already reached out towards her, the sewage covering them giving the impression of them wearing dark robes. Blinking the filth out of her eyes she realized that the 'female' zombie that had lost its legs were holding unto her ankle, denting the metal with a clawed hand as the other grasped after Joan's thigh.

"Joan!" The cry was dull in her ears as the sister kicked out, her heeled boot striking the zombie in the forehead, the dark steel slipping through the soft skull, killing the beast. Rolling unto all four she moved to get up...

One of the downed monsters came out of the water, clawed hands held up wide, as if it wished to hug her.

She managed a shriek.

Then she felt hands close around her right arm and leg...and pull her into the water.

The water was oddly warm, warm and disgusting, Joan tried to close her mouth as the horrible liquid ran down her throat, only to have it forced open as the pain in her ankle made her scream. She heard something, a dulled shout, oddly distended in the running water...then the sound of laser fire.

The grip on her limbs slackened.

Kicking out Joan pushed herself upwards, gasping for breath as she broke the surface of the river. The stench of decay and death was everywhere, making her retch. Some water must have entered her suit for she felt the wound in her stomach begin to burn from the filth covering it, as was her lungs from the horrible water she had swallowed.

"Help her!" Was that...Edwin? Coughing Joan inched forward, blindly searching for her bolter through the murky water, her fingers brushing against nothing but rough rocks, rocks and...

The hand shot out from the water, grabbing her by the jaw even as the one-armed zombie came out of the river. Evil eyes focused on her, freezing her...

With a wordless groan the monster stood up and forced her to arch her back, the grip on her jaw shifting as it pushed four filthy digits into her mouth, grabbing her by the right cheek...Joan tried to scream, but realised she had no air left in her lungs. Her vision swam... "Shoot it! Shoot it now!" Ron? She felt the heat of the lasers passing over head, searing off pieces of sludge and flesh off the beast at her back, the remains raining down over her.

It didn't die, instead it merely pulled at her in rage, a growl escaping it.

Her cheek came off.

Taking a deep breath to get some fresh air into her lungs Joan spluttered, a torrent of her own blood choking her as the wound widened, her entire cheek being pulled off.

Even as she felt as if her entire face was being set on fire she heard the unmistakable sound of chewing...

"Too late!"

_Too late_? _No_!

Something heavy hit the back of her head, sending her tumbling forward, her forehead impacting with the edge of the walkway, making her vision swim even as she rolled over unto her back.

They were _everywhere_.

"No! Help her!" The voice was more distant, more desperate. Kicking out Joan sent one of the undead tumbling, another grabbed the kicking limb...and pulled. Joan screamed, all air leaving her once again, over the scream one could easily hear her hip breaking.

"No! Let go of me! _Help_ her!"

Kicking out with her working leg Joan sent the beast grabbing her other leg away while she half turned in the water, hand grasping hold of the walkway and pulling her away from the encroaching horde.

Another instantly grabbed her hand, thick club of a hand closing around hers...Joan stiffened in wordless pain as every bone in her hand broke along with her gauntlet. Dark blood pouring out of the thick paw covering her hand, as if it was simply squeezing water out of a rag...Joan smiled at the thought, suddenly oddly detached from the horrors all around her.

"No! Nooo! Joan!"

Something heavy hit the small of her back...then she couldn't feel anything from the waist down.

Rolling over she tried to see, but the sight was blocked by the monster towering above her, a hand reaching towards her in surprising speed...clawed digit going right for her...

Joan didn't think she had any air left in her lungs, but she _did_...wailing she tossed and turned in an effort to get away, her left eye crushed against its socked as a clawed finger inched its way into her skull.

She couldn't get away though...Joan jerked, her body refusing to obey as pain washed over her in waves. She heard a crunching sound...what little vision she had left watching how the monster tore away from her face, a piece of white bone still covered in pale skin following.

Her face...

All went black.


	13. Chapter 13

Forcing himself not to screw his eyes shut Edwin continued to run, head downcast as he more on instinct than anything else followed the soldiers in front of him.

"On the right! Watch that thing!"

"More coming up behind us! Duck!"

"Kill that one!"

She was dead, he was alone, alone with the two soldiers he barely knew...and death incarnate.

"Emperor! Need help here!"

Looking up Edwin's eyes widened. Both on the left and the right of the crossing they were in walls of the undead were approaching, and judging by the sounds behind him the group could only move forward... He also saw Ron slightly to the left, the soldier struggling to free his rifle from the grip of a foe, even as Edwin watched the man pushed the weapon out to keep the monster from biting him while moving it to the left, hoping the free the weapon. "Li!"

Li didn't reply, the woman grunting as she slipped on something, sending her tumbling into the sewage water, her rifle firing off a few rounds into the roof before disappearing into the water with her.

Feeling a sudden rush through his body Edwin cried out and leapt forward, the metal rod held so tightly in his hand coming out swinging.

The head of the zombie came apart by the force of the swing, the now lifeless corpse dropping to the side, almost tearing Ron with it. Cursing the soldier put a boot in its chest and ripped his weapon free, the ruby laser shots playing over the approaching beasts to their left. "Li! I want you to advance and give cover fire!"

"On it!" The woman spluttered, her movement weary as she dragged herself out of the sewage. Weary...they were all weary, shocked, afraid. Despite the recent sleep Edwin could feel the tiredness behind his eyes, how his legs and arms ached already....it was if the very air was drawing all strength from them.

Still, Li had the strength to obey, the small woman darting forward while her bayonet gutted an undead that had come too close...then she disappeared into the darkness ahead.

Tepid breath, close.

Spinning around Edwin swept his rod around, hitting a beast that was far too close in the side and tearing off some flesh that more resembled sludge then anything else, exposing a white rib. Uncaring of the injury the beast grabbed him by the shoulders, hands resembling clubs holding him in a vice as a mouth covered in pencil-shaped teeth opened to feed upon him.

So close...he could smell the rot coming from its insides, see the blue eyes mostly covered by mutated flesh look at him in a far too _human_ hunger... Struggling he found himself unable to move anything save his legs, the kicks doing nothing but dislodging some filth from the legs off the beast, not the least affecting it as it opened its mouth in a way that should have dislodged its jaw. Was it going to swallow his head whole? Would it-

The bayonet came from nowhere, breaking the entire top ridge of teeth of the beast and spearing the top of its skull, making it stiffen.

Then two blasts of red struck it, the first burning the jaw into nothing but charcoal, the second blasting into the darkness within its mouth, briefly illuminating pulsing green veins.

Stepping back Edwin kicked out, sending the dead thing tumbling away, he tried to smile to the soldier saving him, but Ron was already looking elsewhere, after Li's voice calling out ahead of them: "There's a door here! Locked!"

"Set charges and blow it open then!" Ron growled back, a hint of panic in his voice as he and Edwin rushed forward, barely dodging the many beasts closing in on them. "Now!"

Running past Ron Edwin quickly saw what Li had referred to. It wasn't much of a door, made of steel it had no handle or visible way of being opened. A simple yellow sign had been riveted to its centre, a small stick figure on it crossed over with the text 'No entrance allowed'. Not that anyone cared about such things now...even as he looked Ron saw Li quickly move between her dropped backpack and the door, fastening grey lumps unto the door's sides.

"Please hurry!" He found himself adding while spinning around, weapon raised while he saw Ron come up next to him, the soldier firing shot after shot into the converging mass of death before them.

There's so many of them...

"I'm doing it as fast as I can!" Li growled back. "Give me five seconds more!"

"On it!" Ron shouted, two grenades already flying forward. One disappeared among the many undead, the explosion oddly dull as the sound was blocked by the solid mass of flesh between them and it. The second grenade landed ahead of the first beasts, forcing Edwin to cover his face as the explosion tore through water, flesh and stone.

There was a slight splatter of 'fresh' sewage across Edwin's frame.

Lowering his arm Edwin watched a single undead slowly drop unto its knees, then fall into the water. The others, though covered in gaping wounds that exposed rotting insides and pale bone, continued, the remains of their arms reaching out towards the humans. "Impossible...are they getting tougher!?"

"Explosives set! Step back!" Edwin gritted his teeth and forced himself to take two quick steps against the wall of undead even as Li came up to his side, her fingers already pushing down the button on a small cylinder in her hand.

The explosion sent him face forward unto the floor.

Spitting Edwin watched one of his teeth drop unto the ground along with some slimy blood, the thing slipping down into the sewage water. Growling he ignored the throbbing pain of his face while getting up, the sound of laser fire telling him the others had done the same. "Quick! Through the door!"

Practically flying through the hole where there once had been a door Edwin found himself crying out in frustration.

The room he was in was small, walls tinted green of mould and leading straight up for twenty feet before ending abruptly with a ceiling alight with dozen of lamps. The place was cluttered with scaffolding, as if someone had intended to build something there but ended the project before it had even begun.

The entirety of the opposite wall was one large door, almost ten feet high and going from corner to corner it was a massive thing of brass and steel, several dozen cogs covering it in an intricate pattern, some of them glowing with an inner glow that made Edwin queasy just looking at them. Several piece of parchment and golden seals covered it, all adorned with an overly decorated 'I' that Edwin couldn't quite place...

"Oh for the Emperor's sake!" Ron cried out, the soldier coming to a halt to Edwin's left, Li doing the same further out. "We can never blow through that thing!" The soldier blinked, despite his dark skin Edwin could actually see him paling. "Never..." For a moment it looked as if he was going to cry, then he stiffened, chin forced high. "Edwin, you have done well." The voice...different all of a sudden.

"Um...thank you." Edwin muttered, feeling cold.

Loosening his armour a little Ron almost looked casual, the underlying discipline of his disappearing. "Li...I wished we had had more time."

"It was time well spent." The woman replied, the hostility in her voice gone, making Edwin look over at her in surprise. The woman was actually smiling a little, a hint of teeth being bared. "And Edwin...I hope I wasn't too much of a bitch."

"N...no not at all." He replied, then felt something within him release its hold on him, calming him. "And...I thank you both, without you two we would never had come so far."

"Right, that's it then." Ron grinned, raising his rifle. "Now lets show these son of a bitches what we can do eh?"

"I'd like that." Li muttered even as the three spun around, weapons raised.

The beasts were almost on top of them already, crowding to get in through the door. A flurry of laser shots blew apart the first three before a fourth came trough, only to drop forward with Edwin's steel rod stuck in its skull. Putting his foot against its neck Edwin pulled the weapon free, his previous weariness gone, his fear nothing but a memory.

He only fought, for another breath, for another moment, because he could.

Two more entered, the first shielding the second from the many laser blasts meeting them, slowly sliding to its knees it was bashed aside by a third monster whose paw came flying towards Edwin. He found himself raising his weapon to block...and then flew through the air by the force of the blow.

Nothing but a grunt passed his lips as he crashed through some of the scaffolding in the corner, dark spots dancing before his eyes as something hard struck him in the head, his back one big bruise. He still held his weapon though, which he forced himself to raise as the monster came at him. Holding the rod with both hands he pushed it against the beast's throat, holding it away from him even as it struggled to reach him with what remained of its teeth.

So this was it then? Death...Edwin who just three weeks ago never had even considered himself _able_ to die. He was really too young...a shame.

Then an explosion tore through the room.

The zombie was tossed off Edwin, the creature nothing but pieces of gore as he himself was pushed into the ground, vision swimming as all air was forced out of his lungs. His head felt as it would explode, his body...all seemed a jumble of signals, leaving his body confused and unable to move.

Had one of the soldiers set off a grenade next to him?

Everything was so quiet...had he lost his hearing?

A crunching sound dispelled that idea, _many_ crunching sounds...and a moan.

_Boom_!

He heard the sound of blood splattering across concrete, then more crunching sounds.

"Area secure brother." Brother...brother...what did that mean? The voice...he didn't recognise it. Unable to move Edwin could do nothing but frown, limply waiting for what would happen. He would either die or live...he didn't care much for either option right now.

"Excellent work, brother Fichus, I want this door open." There was a pause and Edwin felt himself shudder for some reason, as if he'd just been scrutinized by an arbiter. "Apothecary, check them."

"Yes brother." Came a curt reply, then a crunching sound of ceramite against stone. "This one is female." Li? Were they talking about-

_Boom_!

No! Edwin groaned, his body stiffening as he vainly tried to move. It was _them_ again, the evil incarnate! He could accept dying...but not death at the hand of such monsters! Li! Ron! Do something!

"This one...damaged but let me..." He heard an odd sound of a pneumatic hiss. "Too old, under set values too."

_Boom_!

Ron...

Thump, thump, thump...Edwin listened intently to the sound of someone approaching.

Then a white helmet appeared before his vision, definitively a space marine's helmet...the dark eye lenses betraying nothing as they coldly looked down at his broken body. "Hmm..." A pneumatic hiss and Edwin felt something large push into his arm, the level of pain from it surprising him, as was the feeling of something being pulled out of him.

He glared at the helmet looking down at him, the disgusting monster that was coldly seizing him up for some reason...he wished he could spit at it, but there was no water left in him to draw on.

"The body is damaged..." A massive bolter appeared behind the helmet, large muzzle aiming down at Edwin, he almost welcomed it... "But age is workable...and his values are within working parameters." The weapon disappeared, replaced by a head devoid of helmet. A square bald one, even lacking eyebrows while its brown eyes coldly looked down at Edwin as if he was nothing but an insect. "I believe he might be salvaged brother captain."

The bald marine cocked his head to the side, obviously not agreeing. "If you say so brother...we will bring him."

Coughing Edwin managed to force his mouth to move. "F...fuck you."

The marine's face twisted into a smirk. "Well what do you know? You'll be fun..." Then a massive fist came flying towards Edwin...and all went black.

_The end?_


End file.
